Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
May 05, 2018	Apr. 29, 2017
Other comprehensive income (loss)
Pension liability adjustment, tax	$ 0.0	$ 0.1
Postretirement liability adjustment, tax	$ 0.0	$ 0.0

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension Liability Adjustment, Tax Amount

No definition available.

Name:	gco_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossPensionLiabilityAdjustmentTaxAmount
Namespace Prefix:	gco_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration